Haddam Volunteer Fire Company conduct ice rescue training as temperatures warm

The Haddam Volunteer Fire Company spent the night on Monday training for ice rescues as rising temperatures increase the risk of someone falling through.

The company performed its training at the Haddam Reservoir.

“It’s close to the real thing as it can be. When we train, we’re training as real as training can provide us,” Michael DiGiacomo, a volunteer firefighter, said.

It’s training, firefighters say, they do a few times a year, especially as temperatures start to warm up, causing ice covering lakes and ponds to melt. While there hasn’t been a rescue like this in Haddam for a while, they want to be ready in case one were to happen, as happened over the weekend on Cape Cod.

A retired couple, identified by their family as Kit and Jerry Boucher, fell through the ice on Valentine’s Day while walking their dog. Kit’s body was found, but the search continued on Monday for Jerry.

Two officers also fell in the water when the ice gave way, but they managed to get out. Haddam firefighters said this training is so important for that reason.

“As it gets warmer, you’ve got to think about that kind of stuff. Be diligent and think about warmer weather and stuff coming in and stuff like that,” Greg Duval, a captain with the Haddam Volunteer Fire Company, said.

Firefighters say the first few minutes are crucial: ideally, they want to get to the person in the water in about five minutes, but they also have to take into account the circumstances of what they’re dealing with.

“You’ve got to look at the whole picture. You can’t just look at one area. They could be flailing around or whatever. You’ve got to look at everything,” Duval said.

So, what do you do if you fall in? Firefighters say to remain calm and have someone call 911 right away.  But their best advice is to be very cautious when stepping on icy lakes or ponds.

“Don’t assume that the ice is thick enough to support [you],” DiGiacomo said.

Source Link